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Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in and the county seat of Burke County, North Carolina. The population of the city is 16,918. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 67.19% White (11,367) 17.87% Hispanic or Latino (3,024) 10.00% Black or African American (1,691) 4.94% Other (836) 22.7% (3,840) of Morganton residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Morganton has average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 9 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 1.28 murders a year. Pokemon See the Burke County page for more info. Fun facts * On January 31, 2006, an explosion occurred at Synthron Inc., a paint additive chemical manufacturer's plant in Morganton. Workers at Synthron reported hearing a loud hiss minutes before the explosion. Most were able to escape the building before the blast, but even some who were outside were thrown as far as 20 feet (6.1 m). The explosion was heard and felt as far away as 50 miles (80 km). On the day of the explosion, operations appeared normal until after the steam was turned off and the polymer initiating solution was pumped into the reactor. The operator in charge noted that initially the reaction did not proceed as vigorously as expected, but later the solvent evaporated and the condensed solvent flow returning to the reactor appeared within normal range. A few minutes later, the operator heard a loud hissing and saw vapor venting from the reactor manway. The irritating vapor forced him out of the building. Three other employees also left the building because of the vapors. The operator reentered the building wearing a respirator and started emergency cooling water flow to the reactor. The building exploded less than 30 seconds after he exited the second time. The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) stated that the solvent vapor leaked from the overheated and over-pressurised process reactor, forming a flammable vapour cloud inside the building that ignited. A total of 14 people were injured in the blast, of whom one man later died. In addition, at least 300 fish died due to chemicals leaking into a creek behind the Synthron plant which leads into the Catawba River. * In the late 20th century, Morganton and Burke County, which was still largely rural and with big poultry farms, became locations for industrial-scale poultry processing plants. These jobs attracted many new immigrants to the state from Central America, leading to an increase in Latino population in this area. During the 1990s, Guatemalan-born workers in Morganton worked to organize a union at the Case Farms poultry plant but were ultimately unsuccessful. Labor and factory work have changed in the "Nuevo" South, where many Latino immigrants work in low paid industrial jobs. They are competing with globalization in some industries. At the state level, North Carolina is working to encourage immigrant communities and their contributions. * The oldest-known European inland (non-coastal) settlement in the United States of Fort San Juan has been identified at Joara, a former Mississippian culture chiefdom located about five miles north of present-day Morganton. In 1567 a Spanish expedition built the fort there, while seeking to establish an interior route to Mexican silver mines. This was more than 40 years before the English settled Jamestown, Virginia, their first permanent settlement in North America. The Spanish left a 31-man garrison that occupied the fort for 18 months before being overcome in a Mississippian attack. Five other Spanish forts in the larger interior region were also destroyed about that time. Only one soldier survived. The fort and Indian settlement have been under professional excavation since the early 21st century, with findings published since 2004. Europeans associated with the British colonies did not try to settle this far west for nearly 200 years, organizing Burke County in 1777. Today Joara is identified as a significant archaeological and historic site near the Watersee River in the Upper Catawba Valley. Construction of its mounds is believed to have been started by the people of the Mississippian culture by AD 1000, and they occupied the site continuously from 1400AD to 1600AD. Based on additional archeological excavations at the "Berry Site" that revealed the remains of a defensive moat constructed in European style, researchers in 2013 concluded that this was the site of Fort San Juan and Joara. Earlier evidence found in the area included "military artifacts and burned remains of Spanish-built huts." * Morganton has a decent bit of amenities to offer. It has a few shopping centers, Aldi, Walmart, Nintendo World, a couple of chain restaurants, some local restaurants and businesses, Foothills Regional Airport, plenty of fast food, a bit of hotels, a bit of auto parts places and car dealerships, Catawba Meadows Disc Golf Course, Lowe's, Rural King, two sports complexes, a contest hall and showcase theater, plenty of public battle fields, Food Lion, Big Lots, Goodwill, Tractor Supply Co., dollar stores, and a few other things. Category:North Carolina Cities